GEORGE GOSS LETTERS Sonora March 22d 1853
Dear Brother
I believe I have not sent a letter to you but now I am going to write this
to you instead of Levi and I want you to answer it for I want to see how
you write My health is first rate and we are geting along well with
our Mill. have got the frame up and are now waiting for the Engine & irons
which we expect will be here this week & it will then take us two or three
week to get every thing all ready to go to sawing. I have been choping
wood & brush today but I guefs you would not like to pile the
brush very well for they are as high as my head and worse to touch than any
current bush you ever saw well these are in some places as thick as they
can grow and all the way you could get through them is to crawl on your
hands and knees under them it is in such brush that they find the grizleys(
sic) which are ugley fellows I tell you last night I saw a man who
has been hunting them a great deal and he told some big bear stories. he has
the skin of one which I have seen which weighed 1200 pounds when he killed it
how do you
page2 think you & Watch could get along with such a fellow. I guess he
would not shake him like a wood chuck and I guess you would want to keep of a
good ways from him. but I should like to see Watch play with the Kayotes which
are a little larger than a fox the come round in sight some times and howle
like mad but they run when they see any body We have had very fine weather of
late & the grass looks green and nice there is lots of flowers here now more
than you every saw or thought of while I supose you have plenty of snow yet
and are making Sugar now I wish I could help you sugar off once in awhile
but I guefs you will eat some for me, wont you there is no Sugar made here
and no apples raised yet by the way you must take good care of the little apple
trees in the orchard & nursery dont let the mice eat them up but if you can spare
money enough among you I wish you would get about 25 trees more
and get Pat Carr to help set them out on the side and above the others when you
get this I suppose you will be fixing fence, ploughing,
Sowing, & planting you must look out and not work too hard but hire some
help. I would let Pat take the lot on the hill again if he wants it and
plough some
page3 there & some down to home if he wants to you must get out the manure where you
plant but I would not plant a great deal & take good care to keep it
hoed well & to have a good garden you must take care of the cattle
& sheepe and little lambs dont let them be out in the cold and die
but perhaps you will think I am telling you a great deal about what to
do but I want you to do every thing up right & nice and I think you
have got along first rate and without hireing but a little but I hope you
get time to go and see the Cousins once in awhile & when you write I shall
expect you will write about some good visits you have had up to
Grandmothers, Uncle Knapps, Uncle Davids, Uncle Jeffersons and with all the
Cousins how does Cousins Lafayette & Jerome get along you must write about
them all & make them all a good visit for me and tell them all that I
should be very glad to have them write to me and send their letters to
Sonora. Where is Mr Kendall and how is Sarah now? who lives in Mr Woods
house now? where is George Goodell. I herd he was coming out here how
would you like to come I guefs you would be a
page4
good hand to keep fire for the engine or shovl saw dust how do you think
you should like it. perhaps I shall want to come home and let you or Levi come
out here. Have you had a good school this winter and learned well? do you want
to go to school this fall? if you & Levi do & Mother will let you I
guefs I will send you money enoug to pay your tuition and get your Books with
& if they have a school at the Village I think you had best to go. do you
take the Caledonian now if you do not I want you should take it and sent the
papers to me every mail. I want you should pay the postage on them if it is not
more than a cent on a paper. I am going to sent a line in this to Mrs Clifford
which you can give her. give my respects to all and now Francis I shall expect
a good long letter from you
Your brother
George